Fact: Plenty of people who are diagnosed with diabetes don't have a family history of the disease. And, many people with a family history of diabetes will never get it.
Having a family history of diabetes does raise your risk, though. There is nothing you can do to prevent type 1 diabetes. But, you can take steps to cut your risk of type 2 diabetes by making some changes to your lifestyle. Research shows that reducing your body weight by 5 percent to 10 percent - 10 to 20 pounds for someone who weighs 200 pounds - can cut your diabetes risk in half.
